Carryon Regardless

As Grampa, I recently experienced that a lender wouldn't lend with retention as was the norm. Now they seem to want minimum spec at purchase or no loan. It may be that they set the minimum EPC rating as such.

Purchase, and sale, costs such as conveyancing are allowable against capital gains tax at disposal.

Not enough information for us to know if the tenant didn't use his eyes and could have. Or if the barriers were so discreet so the 'accident' was not really the tenants fault, although that seems unlikely. Another consideration is if this would come under property insurance, but the excess may well make a claim uneconomical. But electric garage doors have overload protection when closing. When closing onto an immovable object they should reverse and open again. So really this seems to be a mechanical / electrical fault. At least it didn't cause injury for which you might have been held accountable. If there is no damage to the door an electrician may well frig the system to open again.

I know some of you prefer to use the schemes where you hold the money, insure the tenants deposit sort of thing. For a few years due to the continual loading on me / us I have preferred to simplify where I can. Setting up accounts with more organisations that want f' knows what from me isn't the way I go these days. Especially with deposit whatevers that the principle of has always annoyed me. It is another way to restrict us and our monies. So a tenant naffed off during the pandemic, Sept 2020. I traced her and requested she inform the DPS that I may have the £500 deposit, it didn't cover all losses but blood from a stone and all that. No joy. Nobody wanted to meet face to face so my needing to go to a solicitor went back burner. Now I'm using a solicitor to conveyance Wales out came my declaration. Interesting that we need to sign a declaration and swear an oath in front of a solicitor (other bods feasible), not so a tenant that wishes to contest my claim. It gets posted, some days later I am informed the tenant shall be informed (good luck there as I didn't inform of her whereabouts, if that's still the same anyway) and given another 14 days to contest my claim. 14 days was up last Monday 25th April. Nout from the DPS. Friday I am informed that the monies shall be transferred, this may take 3 - 5 working days, if I have queries on this to contact my bank. Still nowt. If I wish to transfer dosh to anyone here you would see it in your account as I press the button on my PC, even today a Saturday. Even if not available funds you would see the transfer. Somehow the DPS can't do this. I am in no rush for the £500, but it would be nice to close it out and not have to return to my account in hope, more time lost, unnecessarily, to this bl**dy industry. Winge not over as I'm sure there is more to come. Another I may go into some point is yet another local Gov't department (Denbighshire) ringing me to ask me to justify my serving a S21. And that's well before it gets anywhere near a court after the 2 month notice expires. And that's utilising the short window before notice becomes 6 months. Nice sunny day today, splashing about in the sailing dinghy feels like a good idea.

The concern is what I may include that doesn't conflict with the 'supplementary terms'. I see no 'guidance' on the notice period required of a tenant. While there is thought to rent arrears and antisocial behaviour the terms i include that prohibit a tenant making decoration changes, or worse, and even changing locks may or may not be 'allowed'. I wonder how much will be left vague for a judge to deliberate on in the event. Of course for any landlord, the thought that soon into a tenancy you learn how undesirable the tenant is but they will be in place for a minimum of 12 months is serious. After 12 months we may then go forward with the court application, to then wait for court dates and hope there isn't an issue with the notice and for time period to be reset.

Just a bit more belly ache on the subject. As I often do on those nights when sleep 'aint coming easily I'm trawling the net for info. Looking for an actual Welsh Occupation Contract that we landlords shall be forced to use from July 15th for new tenancies, with 6 months grace for existing tenancies. I have found one piece https://blog.simply-docs.co.uk/2022/02/23/occupation-contracts-the-new-form-of-tenancy-agreement-under-the-renting-homes-wales-act-2016/#:~:text=Occupation Contracts – The New Form,letting residential property in Wales. So the last line informs that with 3 months to go that Wales will produce more guidance that we must operate under from July. I guess it's taken from the Gov.wales site that says a little more, but still doesn't suggest where I might stand with tenants that take animals or keep unroadworthy vehicles at the property. Really doesn't this point to how inept the Welsh government are at being a government?

On the face of it this is causing us to comply as we should anyway. For me it feels like big brother going too far. I don't spend hours doing my annual return as my spread sheets are pretty close to being updated weekly. So 4 times a year I now need to set aside the time to comply with more legislation, this after I have been caused to buy another software package and learn it. Will this improve things for the nation? Is there a justified reasoning?

Not surprising RL but my thinking is fairly similar. On the tourist side of things though. The WRA shall deter 2nd property ownership, that is tourism often with a view to retiring to said property later. In the mean time often these properties are holiday lets, that will surely reduce. Tourism is seasonal but still brings revenue to Wales. Lost revenue must result in many of the Welsh being less able to be mortgage worthy. This may be a hand in hand result as some may be able to afford the fast reducing (value) properties that come available. Meanwhile less revenue to Wales will result in less council tax collected (and income tax also but that'll be an argument with the treasury). So areas that are traditionally depressed become more so. Not only do the councils have less finance to develop these areas for better, but there is to be an increased unemployment that will cost them more, both financially and socially. As a kid we used to go to Rhyl for the pleasure beach, even as young adults. Nowadays you are lucky to escape life intact, and I don't exaggerate. I'm glad that not so many read these pages as I want to sell to them.

Truth is Melboy we that are invested in Wales can only know a limited amount of what the changes will be. As yet I haven't seen a new style 'Occupation Contract' to assess it. Like you I can't imagine it is going to be designed to my advantage. From 15th July we, in Wales, must serve a 6 months repossession notice. I still 'believe' my loverly tenants may serve 1 month. Rent increases shall be more closely controlled. I have served on 1 tenancy, while it is still 2 months. There is a window from 24th March (end of Welsh covid legislation) and the July to do this. Thing is I was reading last month covid legislation ceases 24th March and with it the 6 month protection afforded tenants, so I served on the 24th. Then it struck me that it may have stated after the 24th. All references to this, even Shelter's own site info, have disappeared. If I were paranoid I might conclude that as an English capitalist that I am under attack. The possible 200% surcharge to us 2nd property owners is to become chargeable from April 2023. Each local authority has power to charge up to that max. So far I don't have a clue what Denbighshire 'will' charge me, for each property. How can anyone design a business like this? I cannot charge my tenants anything above rents w/o threat of a hefty fine and the removal of the S21 possibility until refunded. So I'm now working with the tenants I've served on to remove their unsightly outside cr*p for them, to improve my sale chances. I have one other sale going through right now. HB reduced my revenues at the flats this month. No warning. I sat for an hour on hold, trying to find out what the issue is. I gave up. After all this is paid on behalf of the tenants and essentially nowt to do with me. Today I write to all tenants at the flats warning them that they are falling into arrears, with a view to serving the S21's pre tenancy period end (last day each month). Offering the flats for sale to any local investor feels favourite right now. It is no longer my business, I am merely an agent for local Gov't's. The risk to reward ratio, although not yet determinable, feels to have become too great. F' knows where my / our pension will be coming from as I walk away from what was about £32k net profits.

Aside from the 'possibility' of legislation changing the leasehold situation I would say you should buy. I made the mistake of not doing so and I have been at the mercy of the freeholder and charges raised, but it can be worse. For less than £6k per flat it sounds cheap. There are solicitors fees on top of course. If all 14 don't wish to participate those that do then become share holders in a management company. That company then raises charges to the lease holders that aren't shareholders. You would need legal advice on the make up, but your solicitor would already be in play. I'm sure Grampa can offer some constructive insight.

Locally there has been dedicated student blocks built. Perhaps those that 'enjoyed' the student market felt there would be a drop in clients so pulled out in anticipation or because of. I considered the possibilities a while back but concluded that having to furnish, having to deal with possible social issues, and refurbing each summer didn't appeal. The result of my calculations didn't make it look advantageous. A large house we pass regularly on route to the centre was rented to students a few years back. Parties, rubbish, noise were the norm. It isn't let to those learning about life any longer.

I thought we had finally created criminal laws to protect even the likes of us from squatters.

I thought they were mainly failed lawyers. Confirmed, to my mind, by the fact that they are taught that truth isn't important to justice / life.

I sympathise with the Ukrainian situation, although I think NATO is complicit. Are the Gov't offering some sort of assistance to us to provide accommodation. Some of us rent unfurnished so w/o more than just a few bob our properties are unsuitable. Then should this 'special operation' reach a conclusion I would expect and hope for refugees to return to their home. What are we to do with 'stuff' left behind. In Wales that has become commercial waste and must be disposed of by a registered contractor. If the Gov't offer us some assistance I believe this would be for a short time, and then we would be on our own dealing with what ever has become the result. How long would visas be valid for before we need to become customs officers making sure they have legal right to remain? I feel this would be too complicated for many.

A heads up for those that may have involvement, and I realise that the regular posters don't have. Lucky sods that you are. Anyway another Welsh tenant is in arrears, has been for a while and the lies are now embarrassing to him But he did state yesterday that he is 'now' in receipt of universal credit (UC). This is a new area for me. I made my common phone call to Denbighshire Benefits office, in attempt to get payments for HB direct, or that proportion of UC that is applicable. UC is now has nothing to do with the benefits office. I must ring a national free phone number and wait. It's easy to imagine how long that queue will be. Best chance really would be to try at 8am Saturday while the claimants are sleeping off the White Lightening. As with HB a LL must wait until a tenant has run up 8 weeks arrears to claim the benefit is paid direct. As my existing tenants are transitioned to UC the rents will revert to the 'customer' meaning I must wait for the arrears to run up before I then make claim. For me that could feasibly be 4 tenants x 8 weeks arrears, so 32 weeks of lost rents. This is in a location that will soon be 6 months notice period, that being before court applications and a court trying to excuse those tenants and provide 'another chance'. Has it come in yet where a court can now assess our section 21 (or whatever these days) application to hoof the buggers? Selling garden furniture looks so attractive by comparison, even in Ukraine.

Is this article designed to be confusing? A four times rise to 300% doesn't eqaute, does it? You might remember I wrote about a penalty of an additional 200% of council tax as was agreed between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, this sounds to be that. Even before that nice news, thanks Mel, I have been considering the long term plan for Wales. There is evidence of an exodus of property investors. When the WRA realise this isn't serving as hoped I guess they will find other money grabbing capitalists to go at. The result is a spiralling welsh economy, and not upward. Apparently the welsh housing market, N Wales at least, has risen by the order of 20% over the last 12 months. It is starting to level off. What do you guys suggest I should do? Is it a good time to buy? Can I expect my diesel costs to go down soon? Is Timothy Martin the patron saint of Guinness? Oops, I'm concentrating on Wales while still thinking of my next port of call.

It's the annual rent increase time. So I'm going to be considered evil and stealing food from my tenants mouths. I look at Right Move and other sites to see what is going on locally. Sometimes it's difficult to see enough examples to gain fair comparisons, but those I have found are flippin' shocking. I pitch below local market rents but in many cases I've fallen far behind with my low rents. But try explaining that to tenants that just see "I want more of your dosh". In a periodic we are able to increase rents annually, unless a tenant agrees otherwise. So a bit limiting in that I can't split the increase across 2 occasions to make it more palatable. We should only increase within the range of local rents. That's dependant on reasonable comparisons of course. I read Wales has increased by 7.7% this last year, the North West by 10.1%. I'm not increasing at those levels, but one will see a rise of 5.9% for a respectable 3 bed semi, that's quite a jump on a rent already approaching £700pcm (I know chicken feed compared to the south, but everything is relative (but not your tenants)). Where I might feel concern is if a tenant objects and this goes to a fair rent tribunal. Whilst I should be able to demonstrate a fair increase it may be against a lawyer (Shelter funded) at a hearing. That leaves me / us on the back foot. Should we be beaten up in the court we might expect costs to be claimed against us, I certainly wouldn't expect to see any recompense should I / we show the increase to be just. Any thoughts?

A delivery of 36x 3m x 150mm wood lengths were dropped in Prestatyn yesterday. They totally ignored my request to liase so i could be there, as it 'appens I was in Brumingham and was told be a neighbour. So off I go this morning to make sure they're secure in a garage and don't fly off or walk off today. As you can imagine there are high winds, that and the hero drivers that can still pull silly stunts, make driving less than relaxing. Anyway I'm back now, before the forecast snow starts to close off the high roads round here. -6 tonight so I'll need to put me 'at on when we go walkies.

They still do as far as I'm aware. The buggers arrive at a property and act with authority. My tenants let 'em in and they fit some crappy battery powered sensor within a foot of my better units. And we pay for that crap in our taxes. they're supposed to put fires out not carry out property works. A fire brigade recommended Fire Angels on a course i did. What a nuisance they turned out to be. Btw RL most dash warning indicators show fault if the pre start test l conducted sees an issue. Like an open cct on a brake wear sensor for instance. a closed loop. It is true, as far as I'm aware, that the smoke detector button merely send a signal to the sounder, so it's a battery test and a sounder test. But if we are to assume that all smoke detector sensors are going to be faulty there would be a recognised periodic change out. And much more often in a smokers habitat, or after redecoration, or if they use a chip pan a lot. The other choice is to carry out an actual smoke test periodically, that's better with an aerosol as I wouldn't trust my tenants with matches. But until legislation tells me to I 'aint gonna, there's enough crap to contend with.

While I seem to remember some discussion at a gas inspection I don'y see anything relevant on the certificate. Similarly on the EICR I've scanned the many, many tick boxes and see nothing there either. Another one I feel I recall but may be confused about is our requirement to prove operation of smoke alarms at the start of a tenancy. I can't recall why I seem to have this opinion but I included it in my tenancy pack front sheet for tenants to sign as witnessed. This last thought had me thinking that once we have demonstrated the smoke alarm/s (on each level) tenants then effectively become responsible for the ongoing testing. While we are legislated to cause annual gas inspections and 5 yearly EICR's, that (unless I'm corrected) don't inspect these alarms, how often would we be expected to test them ourselves?

When I worked offshore we tested smoke and gas alarms regularly, as part of a maintenance schedule. There was never any suggestion of periodic replacement. They were replaced if they failed of course. I've 2 types of smoke alarm in front of me. 1st type is the 'Pifco' simple 9volt battery model. 2nd type is the 'one' 240volt powered interconnectable with the 9volt battery back up. Neither have any suggestion of periodic replacement. And if you think about it they would be a bugger to shift off the shelves if they had been there a short while. My view, press it if it alarms it's good. If not it needs a new battery (back up type preferably) if still no alarm under test then replace the unit. Aren't we now legislated to install external powered OR 10 year battery alarms these days? Mel, I'll look again but when I did the EICR's I don't recall any mention of the smoke alarms being included. But aren't gas inspections supposed to note their presence?

If they're mains, or otherwise powered (there are 12 volt types off an alarm system) than a battery and functioning they're good. Is there a date on the units? How has the agent arrived at the conclusion?

Depends on how they have been during the tenancy. The respectful and considerate ones might ring to discuss procedure. Then often they are considering a move and are effectively giving me advanced notice of notice. I usually tell the nice ones to keep me informed as they go, I ask for access for work / viewings and dates are often arrived at to mutual agreement. T'others it's by the book.

Do they have good reason for the request. If not consider them to be not potential tenants.

Wales is the closest US city to Russia, it's in the state of Alaska. Maybe Vicki is touting for business up there.